Parrots of the Genus Eclectus. 281 



the determination of the sexes is not always very easy with- 

 out careful dissection, the suprarenal bodies in birds being 

 particularly liable to be mistaken for the testes when the latter 

 are not developed to the extent that they are during the breed- 

 ing-season. On the whole, I think, we must conclude, in 

 company with Dr. Meyer and Count Salvadori, that the green 

 Eclecti are really males, the red females. 



With regard to Dr. Meyer^s conclusion that all the species 

 hitherto described must be regarded simply as forms of one 

 species [E. polyclilorus) , I have already adduced reasons for 

 believing that E. westermanni and E. cornelia are good species. 

 As regards the other five, a careful examination of a large 

 series of skins from different localities (we now know that 

 Eclectus extends east as far as Yule Island and Duke-of-York 

 Island) wall be necessary before coming to any definite con- 

 clusion on the subject. Count Salvadori, however, who has 

 probably had as large a series of specimens from dift'erent 

 Papuan islands of this genus as anybody, recognizes three 

 distinct species (besides the two of unknown habitat), which 

 he says may always be recognized as distinct at any age or 

 in either sex. He gives the following table of these species 

 as understood by him (/. c. p. 756) : — 



1. Virides : lateribus rubro-pimiceis. (Mares.) 



a. Majores. 



a'. Viridis, colore obscuriore, cauda minus C8erulea. . 1. jwlychlorus. 



b'. Viridis, colore laetiore, cauda magis cserulea .... 2. ca?-dinalis* 



b. Minores. Cauda vix cserulea .3. grancUs*. 



2. Rubrse : fascia inter scapulari et abdoinine cyaneo vel 



violaceo. (Feminas.) 



a. Annulo periophthalmico cj'aneo ] . poli/cklorus. 



b. Annulo periopbtlialmico millo 



a'. Subcaudalibus auroreis vel rubro-flavis 2. cardtnali>i. 



b'. Subcaudalibus pure flavis 3. grandis. 



In this table the green E. cardinalis is, I suppose, the inter- 

 medius of most authors, whilst the red E.polychlorus is clearly 

 what is usually called E. linnm. 



* In the original paper Count Salvadori has accidentally transposed 

 these two names, as I have ascertained from a corrected copy of his paper 

 that he forwarded to Mr. Sclater. 



